Follow The Butterfly
by VioletFauxpa
Summary: Shikamaru and Chouji gookyness. After nearly losing Chouji in a mission, Shikamaru sees Chouji in a new light other than before. And with a new mission, will they get closer or be split apart?
1. Follow The Butterfly

The following has major spoilers in it, so if you are still watching Naruto on Cartoon Network and don't know what is going to happen in the future, I am willing to say you might be a bit lost, since some of the characters in here are introduced later on in the show. But if you want to read it anyway, have in mind that I am starting my story after an episode where Chouji apparently died on a mission with Shikamaru. SPOILER I'm warning you.

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"_It all happened so fast... I swear I couldn't remember it all if I tried... and honestly, I am completely surprised that I'm even alive. I ate the red pill, I should have died, in fact, I think I did. I have to try and think back, see if I can pull some memories together... I remember leaving the village, Sakura had to stay behind because we couldn't have anyone else in our group. It was just the five of us. Me, Neji, Naruto, Kiba, and Shikamaru. For what seemed like forever we made our way through the forest in order to find Sasuke. He ran away from the village, that's why we were out there in the first place."_

"_I still don't understand Sasuke's reason's for leaving, but what I did know was if we didn't get him back, we'd have a huge problem on our hands. Then, we came across him... this huge guy that had Sasuke. Anyway, I ended up staying behind and fighting him alone, I had to help out Shikamaru. This guy, he made fun of Shikamaru, taunted him, hurt him... I wanted to kill him for saying that Shikamaru was a bad leader._ _They left to catch these other guys that now had Sasuke, but I had to kill the huge guy so he wouldn't catch up and ruin the rescue mission."_

"_We fought for a long time, and I had gone through both the green and yellow food pills. The last was red, and I had no other choice. I'd die either way, so I thought, might as well go out trying to save Shikamaru. I killed the guy easily after eating the red pill, but soon after I felt the pain. The green pill had hurt enough, and the yellow was even rougher, but the red, it was hell. Somehow, I found a tree with the guys' writing on it. Naruto, Kiba... Shikamaru carved an arrow pointing to where they went. I couldn't move anymore, so following them was out of the question. I knew it was time as soon as I felt the last clutch at my heart arise. Butterflies... I remember butterflies, too... and then, nothing."_

"_Now I'm here, at the hospital in Kohona village._ _Was this a dream, or wait, was I a ghost? Was I watching as Tsunade, the Fifth-Hokage, stood over me and looked down at me with her golden eyes that showed intense focus? I ate the red pill, I died, and now I'm back. It wasn't a dream, Tsunade-sama actually brought me back."_

"_I've been in this hospital for days now, I've already seen both my father and Ino several times, he would sneak me bags of chips in and she'd always bring me a flower from her shop. I noticed her eyes for me changed a bit. She doesn't just think I'm some fatass partner since somehow I lost weight after eating those pills. I appreciate the attention she gives me and the way she doesn't make fun of me anymore, but I wish she would have been this way towards me when I was normal. But, at least she visits, that's more than I can say for Shikamaru... he hasn't come in once when I was awake. Ino said he came in twice when I was still asleep, but that doesn't count if I can't talk to him. I wish he'd come to see me, even if it's for a second. I miss hanging out with him, on our special bench that we've had since we were much younger, the bench where we'd lay back and watch the clouds go by, and when we'd sneak out at night, we'd watch the stars twinkle. I miss it so much. I miss Him so much."_

"Chouji?" Tsunade said as she entered the room, snapping Chouji from his daydreaming. "How are you feeling?"

"O, Tsunade-sama. I feel great." Chouji said back with a big grin. "I'm kinda hungry though..."

"Well, lunch should be coming soon." She said as she turned to leave. "I've just come to check on you and Neji."

"Neji? How is he doing, by the way?" Chouji asked.

"He's recovering well. You two were very lucky, especially you, Chouji. I don't think anyone has survived after eating the red pill, if I'm not mistaken." Tsunade said, before opening the door.

"I really didn't think I'd live. It's scary when I think about it." Chouji shivered at the thought of how close he got.

"Don't think. You lived, that just proves you are something special." Tsunade encouraged the boy sitting up on his hospital bed. "Do you need anything while I'm here?"

"...well..." Chouji started, his voice trailing off as Tsunade looked at him, waiting for a response. "Where's Shikamaru? I'd kind of like to talk to him."

"O, Shikamaru? You mean you haven't seen him yet?" Tsunade said, her hand coming up to tap at her chin. "You must have been sleeping during all his visits, I know her came here several times. He spent the night the first night visitors were allowed in."

"..." Chouji looked at the floor as he head Tsunade talk. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

"Sure." Tsunade left the room in route for Neji.

Chouji looked across the room and out the window. It was sunny and he felt like the rays were dancing over his face, warming him up inside. He came more than Ino had said. He even spent the night. Shikamaru was his best friend, Chouji was sure of that. As Chouji continued to look out the window he noticed the faithful symbol of his friendship with Shikamaru float across the view. A blue butterfly. It was almost like a spirit, not a butterfly, since it had such impeccable timing. It hovered around the window for a few seconds, beckoning Chouji to come to it. Slowly, Chouji got out of bed and winced as he walked across the room. Luckily the room wasn't too big, and as he reached the window he looked down and there he was, Shikamaru. Of course he wasn't alone, he had Ino and Asuma with him. They were coming as a group, most likely to see him. Chouji was sure of it, the butterfly never lied. Chouji made his way back to the bed and got under the covers. He waited anxiously, his fingers and toes twiddling as he could sense them getting closer.

What would Shikamaru think of him being skinny now? Would he laugh at him? No, he wouldn't laugh. He could trust Shikamaru to accept him no matter what. Like he expected, he could hear them walking down the hall. Ino was blasting her voice as usual, and Asuma was telling her to be quite. Shikamaru was silent as always, that's just the kind of person he was. Chouji liked it, his silence. Words always caused him pain, and Shikamaru never used words, and if he did, they were different then the words he was used to hearing. They were nice.

Chouji laid back and placed his hands behind his head as he waited for them to come in. He heard the doorknob turn and watched as they entered. One by one, and Shikamaru was last. He wasn't looking directly at Chouji yet, but he might just be shy, he was sometimes shy at first entering a room. Ino ran up to the bed and hugged Chouji as Asuma walked to the other side of the bed and rubbed the top of Chouji's head, his crinkled cigarette stuck between his lips like normal.

"Guys, hey!" Chouji happily shouted. "What are you all doing here?"

"Duh, seeing you, Chouji!" Ino answered back, laughing at his question.

"O, I was afraid of that." Chouji kidded with her. He noticed a smirk slide across Shikamaru's face. "Shikamaru, hey..." Chouji said softly.

"Hey, Chouji." Shikamaru said back, his eyes reaching Chouji's.

For at least and hour, Chouji talked to Ino and Asuma. Shikamaru simply sat back and enjoyed the conversations the group had. This was typical for the four of them. Shikamaru would always listen as they talked. Ion would tease Chouji about his weight and how he is always eating, but now, the topics had changed. Chouji had lost weight, dramatically. That was one of the reasons he was in such serious condition. He had almost literally been eaten of everything other than his skin and bones. While he was at the hospital, they had to feed him often to get his weight back to a stable amount, something none of them ever thought they have to see Chouji go through.

Shikamaru always liked Chouji chubby. He would always poke his stomach when he was in a playful mode. Chouji only let Shikamaru poke his stomach. If anyone else tried, he'd get angry. This was just another sign of there friendship. He'd get his weight back soon enough, and then he'd get to poke him again. The sound of Ino laughing broke Shikamaru out of his trance. Then, Asuma sat up from the bed, which he had been sitting on since they got there.

"Soon Chouji, we'll go get some more Korean Barbeque, my treat of course." Asuma said, seeing his mouth water as he finished his sentence.

"Sensai! Don't tease me. I'd kill for some right now, this hospital food is getting old." Chouji pouted, but quickly got over it as Asuma and Ino made their way towards the door to leave. "You guys leaving?"

"Yeah, Chouji. I have a mission I need to go on, I just came by to check on my student." Asuma told him.

"And I have to go get dinner for home, mom wants to teach me a secret recipe of her's." Ino sounded annoyed as she spoke. "I like cooking, but mom always makes the most complicated things!" She sighed as she left the room.

"Don't worry, Chouji. We'll be back sometime." Asuma said cooly.

"Yeah, ok. Shikamaru? Are you leaving, too?" Chouji asked the still sitting Shikamaru.

"Does it look like I'm going anywhere?" Shikamaru returned with a smirk, giving Chouji an equally large grin on his face. "You've been asleep every other time I came, so I'm gonna stay longer and hang out with you, is that alright?"

"Yeah!" Chouji assured him with a nod.

Asuma and Ino left the room, Ino giving one last wave before the door shut. After a minute of being alone with him, Shikamaru got up and laid across the foot of Chouji's bed. His eyes stared at the ceiling, he had so much to say he didn't know where to begin. Chouji just looked down at him and lightly scratched his swirly cheek. He didn't know what to say, either. They never really talked when they were alone, but just sat next to each other and enjoyed the comfort they gave each other. Now was different, though, the air was thick with tension. Chouji could sense Shikamaru trying to think of what to say, his face was lost in thought. Chouji himself also tried to say something, but he felt like Shikamaru was going to say something soon so he held back. Eventually Chouji decided to maybe try and spark up a conversation that would lead to what Shikamaru wanted to say.

"I'm glad you got away with only a broken finger, Shikamaru. You are the best." Chouji said, blushing as he praised his friend.

"Yeah well, I'd be dead right now if it wasn't for Temari." Shikamaru added, closing his eyes as he thought about the fan-wielding blonde from the Village of Sand. "You remember her, right? From the Chunnin Exam?"

"Yeah, isn't she the one you had to fight?" Chouji remembered her, but not as a particular kind of person who would help out someone from the Leaf Village. "She helped you?"

"Yeah, pffft... I was in a pickle and she helped me get out. Troublesome girl." Shikamaru said, opening his eyes again. "She even came to see you after they brought you here, but they didn't let us in since you were still in critical condition."

"Really? That's surprising. Since when was she a good guy?" Chouji asked, confused about Temari.

"It's not just her, but Gaara and that puppet guy, too. They aren't really against us, they just said they were following orders before." Shikamaru informed the lost Chouji.

"I see. Well good thing." Chouji smiled. "I'm glad Gaara isn't against us anymore, that guy was scary." Chouji trembled at the thought of the redhead with the sand powers.

"I'm sorry, Chouji." Shikamaru finally begun his confession that he had been forming in his mind until now. "I'm sorry I left you behind. I shouldn't have been made leader yet."

"Shikamaru, what are you talking about? If I didn't stay, you guys would have never caught up to the others and Sasuke." Chouji tried to relax his friend, but knew there was still more from Shikamaru that was going to be said. "It was my duty to help you guys with my life."

"Chouji... when we were running towards the others, I saw it." Shikamaru closed his eyes again, his face wrinkling as if he were holding back tears. "I saw the butterfly. I knew then... I knew then I had failed you."

"No, no..." Chouji tried easing Shikamaru's guilt, but to no avail. He could even feel himself get teary-eyed just by seeing Shikamaru in pain.

"I acted like nothing was wrong, but you were dead, I couldn't lie to myself. The rest of the mission didn't mean anything to me after that." Shikamaru sat up but still didn't look at Chouji. "I wanted to get my hands on Sasuke just so that I could kill him myself. Chouji, you're..."

"..." Chouji felt a lump grow in his throat. He didn't know what he was expecting to come next, but he knew he had to control himself or else he might actually cry.

"You're more than just a friend or a comrade to me, Chouji..." Shikamaru now turned his head so he was looking Chouji in the eyes. "I felt myself die when I saw the butterfly, I've never felt like that for anyone." Shikamaru scooted closer to Chouji, making Chouji let out a tear and blush at the same time. "And then, when Lady Tsunade said you survived... I felt myself melt into a puddle. You were taken away and then given back. I was given a second chance to have you with me forever, Chouji."

"Shikamaru..." Chouji spoke softly, not actually having anything to say. Shikamaru was now dead in Chouji's face, his eyes flowing with tears, making Chouji cry as well. And then, out of nowhere, Shikamaru wrapped his arms around Chouji, releasing a shocked gasp from the swirly-cheeked boy.

"I promise I wont let you go again, Chouji. Will you give me a second chance?" The strong-minded Shikamaru asked as he cried into Chouji's shoulder.

"...Shik...Shikamaru..." Chouji didn't know what to say. His best friend in the world was actually crying on his shoulder and hugging him like a scared child. Chouji felt honored to see this side of him. As Chouji wrapped his arms around Shikamaru he smiled. "Shikamaru. I did it for you. And, even though I know you did everything you could, I'll let you know, I'd give you all the chances in the world. Like you've given me."

Chouji remembered all the games of hide-and-seek or the rounds of soccer that he tried to play with the other kids when he was younger. They'd never want him on their team, the said he was too slow and he always made his team lose. Shikamaru, though, never let Chouji sit it out alone. He'd always quit playing and sit next to him and they'd make fun of the other kids and laugh. Shikamaru had always been there for Chouji, and Chouji was always going to be there for Shikamaru, for better or worse.

Shikamaru was still crying on Chouji. His grip on his friend was weak, he was drained from letting go of his confession. Chouji held his tighter against him, closing his eyes as he let his friend cry. Shikamaru felt the embrace tighten so he too wrapped his arms tighter. He wasn't sure what was in store for them, but all he knew was he had Chouji with his to see it through with him. He'd fight till the end for Chouji now, and he was even willing to admit that he loved him. Loved him as a friend and also more. It didn't matter that they were still young, they both planned to grow together and let there relationship mature with age.

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I know it sounds like a one shot, but I might continue this. I just had to do something involving these two, I just love them so much. **:3**

After I saw Chouji was still alive, I had to write this!

Sorry for spoiling if I did.


	2. Mission Time!

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Chapter 2.

So I didn't get a great number of reviews for my first chapter, but that's ok. I did get two though, thanks Naruto Whore and Causeiambetta. I will try and make this story great! GOOD NEWS, I MIGHT POSSIBLY BE GETTING A BOOK DEAL SOMETIME! OMG!

Also, I'm getting more off track of what actually happened and what I made up, so yeah.

Happy Reading and Reviewing!

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After that day in the hospital, Chouji and Shikamaru were even closer. They stayed in that one position even after Shikamaru had finished confessing. Chouji held him close and Shikamaru eventually stopped crying. A nurse even walked in while they were embracing each other. She didn't say anything, but just smiled at the two boys. She had brought Chouji his next meal of the day, placing the tray on the table next to his bed, having to move the vase with Ino's flower in it over slightly. She looked back at Chouji and then noticed Shikamaru's tired face that had obviously been crying for some time. Chouji silently thanked the nurse, sporting a grin on his face that couldn't possibly explain the joy he was feeling through his heart at that moment. The nurse didn't worry about Shikamaru any longer after seeing the face given off by Chouji. Like all the nurses in the hospital, they had been trained to tell what a person was feeling by the look in their eyes. If something was wrong, Chouji's eyes would have said so, all she could read was that he was happy.

The nurse left the room wordlessly, shutting the door behind her without a sound. She walked down the hall, smiling as well. She didn't know what all had gone on before she entered Chouji's room, but she was happy to see the boy so happy after being so sad for the first few days in the hospital. Keeping the smile on her face as she entered the nurses' station at the end of the hall, she took off her cap, spilling her brown hair down her back. Her shift was over and she was now getting ready to leave for the day. Scratching her head, she opened her locker and prepared to leave. After a few minutes she finished gathering her things and left the room. As she walked down the hall, she passed a blonde girl with four pigtails coming out of the back of her head.

Temari came back to Konoha to check up on Shikamaru and Chouji, just out of the kindness of her heart. Looking at the numbers of each door as she walked, she looked for Chouji's room number. She came up to his room and placed her hand on the handle, then paused. She didn't really know what she was going to say, maybe just 'Hi' and then be on her way. She felt obliged to say something to him since she didn't arrive in time to help him out of his near-death fight. Placing a smile on her face, she opened the door. She was surprised to see Shikamaru also in the room. He was standing near the window, looking out to the sky while Chouji ate the food he had just received from the nurse. They both looked over to see who entered the room.

"Temari? What bring you here, huh?" Shikamaru asked plainly, turning away from the window to look at the girl who looked older than her age. "Nothing troublesome I hope."

"Not at all, I was just coming to say hello to Chouji." Temari rolled her eyes at the boy who had a grudge against women. "Hi Chouji."

"...er... Hi Temari..." Chouji said back, swallowing his food before speaking.

"Is that the only reason you came here all the way from the Sand Village? Just to say hi to Chouji?" Shikamaru asked, suspecting the girl to have an alternative reason for being in Kohona.

"Why are you so shocked I am here to say hi to Chouji? I didn't get to the other time I was here." Temari asked as she shut the door behind her, not as softly as the nurse did. Walking up to Shikamaru, she drew up a grin. "Why don't you like me, Shikamaru?"

"Troublesome woman..." Shikamaru frowned as she got closer.

"I did save your butt back there, after all..." Temari continued to tease Shikamaru.

"Hey, Temari..." Chouji spoke up after finishing his meal.

"...eh?" She muttered, looking over to the boy on the bed.

"Thanks for bailing Shikamaru out of that mess. That means a lot." Chouji attempted to befriend her, smiling as he finished his statement.

"It was an order. But I also wanted to get back for him beating me at the exams." Temari admitted, looking back at Shikamaru only after winking at Chouji.

"Humpf..." Shikamaru sighed, looking away from her.

"I never got to see you fight, Chouji. I'm sure what I saw you do at the preliminaries wasn't all you could do." Temari again directed her words to Chouji, looking over at the boy with the swirly cheeks, then sitting on the foot of his bed. "After you get out of here, how about you give me a little example of what you can really do." Her eyes now stared right at Chouji.

"You got it! I've gotten better since then, you'll see for yourself!" Chouji proudly told the girl sitting on his bed.

"I'm sure, since you managed to kill that guy. I'm looking forward to it." Temari smiled to him in a friendly manner. "I just wanna make sure you guys don't think I'm some evil bitch for following orders earlier, ok?"

Chouji nodded his head and Shikamaru just looked away from her. She knew Shikamaru was still raw towards her saving him. She even knew he wouldn't have cared if it was Gaara or Kankuro to save him, but because it was her who saved him, Temari, a woman, he was upset. Why he didn't like women, she did not know, but she knew he would probably never give her a chance if she tried. Secretly, she found Shikamaru attractive, the way his calm and almost boring demeanor saw through her cockiness at the exams. He beat her, his shadow snuck up on her and she lost. Even if he gave up, she still knew in herself she was the loser. She wanted to have a second chance to prove herself to him. She wouldn't lose again.

Without another word, Temari got up on her feet and walked out of the room. She didn't know when she'd be back to take Chouji's challenge or to make Shikamaru fight her again, but she knew it wouldn't be too long. For now, she needed to give Shikamaru time to gain his ego in himself back before she came to tear it away again.

The door shut and her shadow disappeared from the door's window. Chouji rather liked Temari, she was a seemingly nice person. Though she did seem scary to him at his first meeting her, she was just following orders. Letting the girl slip from his mind, Chouji placed his empty food tray back on the bedside table and looked over at Shikamaru. If she had been a minute sooner, she would have seen them hugging like the nurse did. Taking the blanket off of himself, Chouji let his legs dangle over the edge of the bed. Shikamaru then looked over as he heard Chouji's muffled groans of pain as he put his weight on his legs to stand up.

"Chouji, you shouldn't be walking around yet. You're still hurt." Shikamaru advised worriedly, making his way over to Chouji to give him a helping hand.

"I was walking around earlier, I'm perfectly fine. I'm just sore..." Chouji tried to defend himself against Shikamaru's advice to sit back down.

"Still, you should lay back down..." Shikamaru placed a hand on Chouji's shoulder.

"Really, I'm fine." Chouji said, walking towards the window, which was only a few steps. "See I'm perfectly capable of fending for myself."

"Don't try and be so strong, Chouji. I don't want you hurting yourself some more." Shikamaru's hand now rested on Chouji's back as he stood next to him, looking out the window at the sky.

"Thank you for always being there for me, Shikamaru. All those times when the others would ignore me or wouldn't let me play." Shikamaru looked at Chouji as he heard him speak, both of their eyes once again meeting. "When I look back to those days, I'm just so proud to say I had you by my side. I'm sorry, Shikamaru, but if I was put in the same situation as I was that put me in here, I'd do the same thing."

"Chouji... No, I won't let you." Shikamaru said, but being hushed before he could say anything else.

"I'd do it over and over again so I could protect _you, _instead if you having to protect me. I can't lean on you forever without you never being able to lean on me." Chouji continued to speak, his hands now holding Shikamaru's.

"..." It was now Shikamaru's turn to blush as he heard Chouji speak, holding his hands, and gradually getting closer.

"I never thought I'd be able to say this to anyone, but, I wont sit and watch someone I love fight for me. I'm going to help him fight till my last breath." Chouji said it, that he loved him, making both of their hearts stop for a few seconds. "Shikamaru, I..."

Chouji began to speak again, but was cut off by Shikamaru, who quickly placed his lips on his. His eyes open wide in shock, Chouji stood motionlessly as Shikamaru kept his lips on him. Shikamaru, flushed across his whole face, kissed Chouji with all his heart. Chouji's face, too, was turning red at the close contact. Never would he have expected this from Shikamaru, but now that he had done it, Chouji was almost too dazed to react. Eventually, however, Chouji kissed Shikamaru back. Hands still holding each other, neither of them wanted to end the moment. Shikamaru took action, though, and broke the kiss. He looked at Chouji who was just beginning to open his eyes. Shikamaru wrapped his arms around Chouji after freeing his hands, and held him, soon being hugged back. Their earrings clanged as their ears brushed by each other. If it wasn't clear enough before about where they stood with each other, it was now crystal.

For the next few days, Shikamaru visited Chouji regularly, and finally Chouji was seen fit to leave. On that day, Asuma held true to his promise and treated his team to Korean Barbeque at one of Chouji's favorite places. Even though Ino still teased Chouji about how he gained back all his weight and would end up in the hospital again, for the most part, the dinner was normal. They let Chouji eat most of it since the occasion was mainly for him, and just happily talked amongst themselves like they always would. Shikamaru sighed at the sight of Chouji fitting as much meat into his mouth that his chopsticks could hold. If he kept it up, he really might end up back in the hospital, but Shikamaru didn't mind, he was just happy that Chouji was still alive.

Chouji trained more than he used to. He would often times demand that Asuma teach him separately from the others so he could get more work done specially for himself. Shikamaru and Ino would spar with him to test his strengths, and were shocked to see him growing faster than they could have imagined. They even had a mission to help out Naruto later on. Even though Tsunade ended up having to help them out of it since the two people they were fighting, two huge brothers that put Chouji's eating habits to shame, were far beyond their abilities to defeat.

They considered their relationship to be well hidden, Chouji and Shikamaru. They tried not to bring too much attention to themselves in public, although Ino and Asuma were beginning to feel that they were indeed closer since the hospital. When they were alone, however, Chouji and Shikamaru held nothing back. Typically they would go to their old spot, the bench where the first started being friends, and gaze at the sky. Shikamaru considered the sky to be very peaceful in all times. Whether it be sunny or cloudy, night or day, Shikamaru took every chance he could to look up and admire the mysterious beauty. Having Chouji next to him as he watched just made it that much better.

As he watched the sky hovering above him, he tried to think of what would become of himself and Chouji. He wanted to believe they'd be together forever, but he wouldn't let himself rest on it. Something could happen to where they were no longer by each other's side, be it death or just separation. Even if it upset him, Shikamaru knew it was possible, though he figured it would have to be death that would be their undoing, since he was sure he could see Chouji by his side until the end of time. "_And that's why I can't let Chouji get that close again..." _Shikamaru said to himself, closing his eyes as if confirming it with himself. He then continued to think of what they'd do as they grew up. He knew they couldn't have children, but he wasn't disturbed by that in the least. Shikamaru never liked kids, they just seemed so 'troublesome' and in the way. They probably couldn't get married either, but they could always just get a place and live together in their own made-up marital bond. Shikamaru was surprised to find himself thinking so much about their future, him being the kind of person who tended to play things by ear.

Chouji, too, was thinking about their bond. More so, who would cook? Chouji considered the thought of maybe him being the one to make the meals, and he didn't think it was such a bad idea. He did enjoy food, after all, and it might even be fun to see Shikamaru's face when he ate something really good that Chouji had worked hard on. Chouji knew his father cooked a lot and was ready to get up and ask him to give him cooking lessons. Maybe he'd even consider becoming some sort Ryouri ninja so he could cook for Shikamaru while on a mission. He'd learn how to make everything in the Japanese cookbook, and then some. Chouji was determined to make Shikamaru pleased for choosing him to spend his life with.

They stayed there for the rest of the day watching the sky change along with the different flavors of potato chips. Eventually, night fell and they had to make their ways home. Shikamaru and Chouji walked together until they had to split paths, Shikamaru simply nodding a goodbye to his friend. Chouji smiled back and continued on his way, walking with his hands behind his head. The streets were quickly becoming silent as people hurried in to avoid being out at night. There was nothing dangerous about the night inside the village, the people were just trained to go inside when the lights went out.

Making it home, Chouji greeted his father, who was currently cooking dinner. Chouji breathed in the aroma of his father's creation, his mouth salivating at the spices he could notice. However, it wasn't ready yet and according to his father, it would be another thirty minutes before they could eat. Chouji sighed and left the kitchen to go to his room. If someone with the basic knowledge of Chouji were to imagine what his room looked like, they'd be mostly correct. His room was messy, potato chip bags and clothes scattered around the floor. His bed was unkept, never had Chouji spent the time to make it after he woke up. He never saw the point, he'd just mess it up again when he went to sleep. Tired of wearing his normal outfit, Chouji opened his dresser to pull out his house clothes. Unwrapping his scarf from around his neck and throwing it carelessly on the floor, followed by his jacket and shirt and everything else, Chouji put on a pair of blue shorts and a plain white shirt. Very comfortable and relaxed. Only after getting dressed again did Chouji reach to the back of his head to undo the knot of his forehead protector. This, he placed gently on the top of his dresser among the other nicknacks he had collected over the years.

After Chouji left his room and was headed for the kitchen again, he could hear a knocking on his door. "Chouji, could you get that!" His father yelled from the kitchen, not being able to leave his food. Chouji went to the door and opened it, wondering what someone could want at this hour. Upon opening the door, he saw Asuma along with Shikamaru standing in their normal attire.

"Asuma-Sensei? Shikamaru? What's up?" Chouji asked confused, scratching his head.

"The Fifth requested our presence, Chouji. Get dressed and come on. And bring your stuff in case you have a mission." Asuma announced, motioning his hand to get moving.

"Right, I'll be out in a minute." Chouji said, going to his room to get re-dressed. "Dad, I've got to go to the Hokage's, alright!" He yelled to his father while going to his room.

"Fine." His father said back.

Within minutes Chouji back to the front door with a bag of belongings, chips being the main bulk of it. As they left, Asuma mentioned that they had to also retrieve Hyuuga Hinata and Inuzuka Kiba from the orders of the Hokage. Asuma also said as they made their way to Hinata's that he was sure they were going to have to go on a mission, and that he wasn't going to be able to come for reasons he didn't discuss. Knocking on the door of the Hyuuga Family home, Asuma puffed his cigarette as he waited for an answer. Hinata's father answered the door after a minute, light from the inside silhouetting his image.

"Yes?" He questioned, his face not visible.

"The Fifth has called for Hinata, for a mission." Asuma answered.

After that, the door closed and several minutes later Hinata opened it again, ready to go. Chouji waved at her happily, causing the girl to smile lightly and wave back. After doing the same with Kiba, the group made their way to the Hokage's building. Once they arrived, Tsunade looked at the group, seeing the questioning looks she was receiving from all of them. Behind them, Shizune entered the room holding a folder with their mission details inside of it.

"Inside this folder are the little details we have of what is involved with your mission. Shizune..." Tsunade started, nodding to Shizune to give the document to Shikamaru so he could begin looking it over.

Asuma had already left them by this time since Shikamaru was able to take the lead for his team. Shikamaru pulled out the paper and read it over. Inside were pictures of two people, a man and a woman.

"Those two you see there are responsible for stealing something from me, you mission is to retrieve it." Tsunade stated, still sitting behind her desk which was currently littered with papers she had neglected to read over.

"What did they steal?" Shikamaru asked, looking away from the pictures to look Tsunade in the eyes.

"Something very special to me. I can't say what exactly, but that shouldn't matter." Tsunade now got up and turned around, looking out the window. "This item of mine should be inside a small box with a lock on it. I am not sure if they opened it, but I don't think they could if they tried. The box is a bluish-purple."

"So all we have to do is bring it back? Kind of simple for the mission to be a B rank mission." Shikamaru said after seeing the grade the mission was considered.

"It's a B-rank mission because this item is not only special to me, but those who stole it, we are not exactly sure of their abilities as of this time." Tsunade now looked at the group. "And before you ask, I do have a reason for grouping you all together. Since we do not know of the criminals abilities, I wasn't completely sure who would be best suited. Your talents vary greatly, and at least one of you is bound to be a good match against them."

"Shouldn't Ino come with us? She is available isn't she?" Chouji asked.

"I attempted to ask her, but I was informed she has a cold, so there will be one less person on your team." Tsunade told the swirly-cheeked boy.

"True, I hadn't seen her for the past few days..." Chouji mumbled, looking down to the floor.

"I called this mission at this time, because they just took it. They shouldn't be too far from the village, and you all should be able to catch them without much hassle." She said, sitting back down and placing her elbows on her desk. "Now, I have told you all I know, go and bring back my box."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." All four of them said in unison.

"They were said to have been headed towards the west, so start that way." Shizune added before the group left the room.

The four made their ways to the gate out of the village and said their goodbyes to the guards as they headed towards the west. Shikamaru handed the pictures of the two to the rest of his team so they knew who they were chasing. They didn't rush right away since it was night, and those they were after most likely were no longer running. After abut thirty minutes of tracking the ground in the dark, Shikamaru advised them to set up camp for the night and continue in the morning. After the tent was pitched and a small fire started to cook dinner, the group gathered together to eat.

"So , we're out here again, hey, Shikamaru, Chouji?" Kiba started a conversation, petting Akamaru, who's head was poking out of Kiba jacket as he slept.

"Yeah, hopefully we'll do better on this one." Shikamaru said back, as he watched Chouji poke the fire with a stick.

"I want be defeated so easily this time!" Chouji stated, grinning from ear to ear. "Hey Hinata, I haven't seen you around much, what you been doing?" Chouji asked the girl who had been silent the whole time they'd been together, he also eyed her hands as she molded something and placed it over the fire to cook.

"Oh... I've just been training with my father and Neji. I haven't really... been able to do a whole lot other than that." Hinata told him, her voice still as shy and scared as ever.

"What are you making?" Chouji then asked, wanting to know what she was cooking.

"O, you just wait, Chouji. Hinata makes the best stuff." Kiba said before Hinata could speak. "She was always cooking for me and Shino when we went out on mission."

The praise she had gotten from her teammate made Hinata blush slightly as she put another mold over the fire to brown.

"She even made some stuff for Akamaru." Kiba still added, the mentioning of his name arousing the puppy. "Hinata should really think about being a chef in her past time."

"Oh, really? I can't wait to try it, Hinata. I'm sure I'll love it." Chouji spoke to the girl.

"You love anything edible, Chouji." Kiba joked, turning into the group's own adaptation of Ino since she wasn't there.

"I just have a wide range of tastes." Chouji said, blushing, not noticing Shikamaru smile at his remark. "And Hinata... maybe someday you could give me some cooking lessons. I've been wanting to learn for a while now."

"Sur...sure..." Hinata said, happy to be asked to help someone learn something she had to offer.

Meanwhile, as the four sat by the fire, in the trees around them hid those that they were looking for. Masking their presence, they continued to watch who they knew were assigned to catch them.

"Which two do you want, sis?" The man said to his sister. "I think I want to play with the girl, can I, can I?"

"Hush, now. Yes, you can have the girl." The woman said.

"But, Kokoro, who are you going to take?" The man in the shadows continued to ask his sister, who too was shrouded in shadows.

"I think I want the chubby one, but I'm not sure about who else I'd like to have." She decided, her smile hidden by the darkness. "I guess I'll also take the boy next to him, he seems to be the leader."

"Oh yes, so I get the boy with his dog, as well. How joyful." The man, rubbing his hands together uttered fiendishly.

"Tsunade should have never sent these brats out to catch us. I'm greatly angered by her underestimation of us. I won't pity them, I'll kill them slowly." The woman's words were laced with a desire to kill.

Looking up, Hinata stopped what she was doing, thinking she heard something. Kiba, who was just laughing at something Chouji had said, saw her expression and also looked up.

"Hinata, what is it?" Kiba asked, looking down at Akamaru to tell him to sniff for anything unusual. "Do you see something?"

"I thought I heard something, but it could have been an animal..." Hinata said, looking away from the trees.

"Must be, Akamaru isn't picking up on anything." Kiba told her, yawning after speaking. "I think I wanna turn in now, I had a rough day before getting called out here."

"We should all turn in now, in fact. We need to get up early to trail them." Shikamaru took charge, getting up and stretching.

The four cleaned up and entered the tent. They all settled in their sleeping bags next to each other, Shikamaru placing himself between Chouji and Kiba, while Hinata slept on Kiba's other side. Chouji turned off the lamp and the four fell asleep quickly. As they slept, the two in the trees began their plan.

"Are you ready, Kokoron?" Kokoro asked, looking at her brother's gleaming eyes.

"Yes, Kokoro. Let's begin." Kokoron answered, his voice think with a mysterious hunger.

"We'll open this box later, for now, we'll have fun..." Kokoro said, then lifting her hands to make a hand sign. "Timeless Night Jutsu."

Nothing seemed to happen, but they both knew her jutsu had worked. They both waited for the group to wake up naturally. They didn't care to rush things. The hours flew by and it was nearing the time they all wake up to continue searching. The time was somewhere around 6AM, but the night was not lifting. Kokoro nodded to her brother, and he jumped down from the trees. He approached the tent and opened it softly, not making a sound. He looked at the kids sleeping, then he eyed Hinata. He entered the tent and hovered his face over her's. he moved his hand as if he was going to touch her face, his fingers getting closer. He noticed her eyes twitch, and then she jumped up with a scream.

Hinata woke up screaming, also waking up the others with the sound. She had felt something next to her, something evil, but when she woke up it was gone. She looked over at the boys, and had a worried look on her face that was beginning to flush. Kiba looked at her, worried, with Shikamaru and Chouji also looking at her.

"Hinata? What's wrong?" Kiba asked her, Akamaru also starting to wake up. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"I... I... think something was in here..." Hinata started, her voice shaky due to the evil she could have sworn she had felt. "I... felt something over me."

With that, Kiba and Shikamaru jumped up and looked outside for what they thought it could be. Akamaru smelled the whole area, but didn't find anything. Chouji stayed in the tent a little longer to look over Hinata. He noticed she looked scared, more so than she should be. Eventually, she stood up and left the tent, followed by Chouji. They looked around, amazed it was still night time.

"Shikamaru... what time is it?" Chouji asked, scratching his head. "It feels like it should be morning by now, I feel rested."

"Now that you mention it, I feel rested too. Something's wrong." Shikamaru agreed with Chouji, entering the tent to look at his watch he had in his bag. "My watch says it's 12:00 AM."

"Impossible. We went to bed at like, 10." Kiba said back. "Is it broken?"

"It's still working, but I still feel like we are missing something." Shikamaru told Kiba and the others, exiting the tent again.

Hinata decided to light the fire again to shed some light on the camp ground. As she stood up after setting the wood on fire, she began to hear something being mumbled from somewhere. She backed up until she felt a heat on her ear as quiet words were being whispered.

"Can I play with you now..." A deep voice came from behind Hinata, causing her to freeze in fear.

"KIBA!" Hinata instinctively yelled out, her heart momentarily stopping after hearing the words. "There was someone behind me... He... he whispered in my ear!" Hinata was now standing behind Kiba, holding onto his jacket.

"They must be here, and we must be caught in some sort of trap." Shikamaru stated, his face growing serious. "Why is Hinata the only one who can notice them, though?"

"I can't find them, and Akamaru doesn't smell them anywhere, either!" Kiba said nervously. "They mus be really good at hiding their chakra."

"_This isn't good, if they come out... I won't be able to use my shadow technique. There's no sun, unless they are near the fire, then I can maybe use it then."_ Shikamaru thought to himself, already planning what to do. "_And I can't dispel this illusion."_

Chouji looked around, trying to find them. He pulled a kunai out of his pocket and held it

in defense. Then, out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw something up in the trees twinkle in the light of the fire. "There!" Chouji yelled as he threw his weapon at the light. He was right, out of the trees jumped Kokoron, finally visible in the light of the fire. The man was covered from head to toe in bandages. Only his eyes and mouth were uncovered. He also wore a pale green vest with matching shorts, but besides that, everything else was just bandages.

"You found me, I'm so impressed!" Kokoron smiled and stared at Chouji, his eyes holding an eerie aura that Chouji couldn't define. "I'm out now, guess I can begin with my fun..." His voice grew deeper as he looked over at Hinata and Kiba.

"Kiba-kun..." Hinata whimpered behind the boy, hiding her face from the man who had his eyes on her.

"Don't worry, Hinata. Akamaru and I won't let him near you." Kiba assured Hinata to try and ease her worry.

Kiba looked the man over, noticing that he was somewhat skinny underneath his wrappings. His arms were on his sides, both of his hands opened with the fingers stretched out. Both he and Akamaru could tell this man was seeping with evil energy and that, more than likely, he wouldn't be a breeze to defeat. Shikamaru and Chouji looked at the man as well, not knowing if they should attack without knowing what he could do. They noticed his eyes fixed on Hinata, his mouth hanging open, exposing sharp eyeteeth that dripped with saliva. They all knew he wanted Hinata, for what they didn't know, but they wouldn't let him near her.

Kiba grew tired of waiting for an attack, so he made the first move, running towards the man with all his speed. In the flash of an eye, Kokoron vanished and Kiba was left trying to find him again, when he heard Hinata scream again. The three looked over to her and saw the man pinning her up against a tree, his tongue liking the side of her face as his hands held her wrists above her head. "_He's fast!"_ Kiba said to himself, sweating at the thought of how quickly the man had moved. Kiba raced towards the man again, determined to punch him away from Hinata so hard, he'd never get back up. As Kiba's fist aimed and ran towards the back of the man's head, he disappeared again and Kiba just stopped short of Hinata. She fell to her knees and within a second she was back up, her eyes focused in her Byakugan. Kiba felt himself shake and heard Akamaru whimper at the sight of Hinata. For the first time ever, she had the evil face that every other girl in Konoha would get once they were mad.

She searched the area for the man who had licked her, her blood raging through her veins. In an instant, Hinata pushed Kiba aside, saving him from Kokoron's blow from behind. As Kiba hit the ground and looked up, he saw Hinata and Kokoron throwing blows at each other. Sweat ran down his face and his fingers dug into the dirt. If not for Hinata, he would have been hit and possibly killed. While he was thinking, Shikamaru and Chouji began to run over to try and help Hinata before she got hurt. However, before they could make it over, Kokoro made her grand entrance.

"Hey, boy!" Kokoro yelled towards Shikamaru, holding Chouji from behind with a kunai to his neck. "I want to play with you, leave my brother with his fun!" She added as Shikamaru turned around, his eyes growing large at seeing Chouji in the woman's arms.

"Chouji!" Shikamaru yelled, worried for his friend's safety. "Let him go!" Shikamaru said as he put his fingers into a hand sign.

"If you want your friend to live..." Kokoro said, pressing the blade against Chouji's neck. "You better think twice about using a jutsu."

"Damn it..." Shikamaru cussed, seeing the kunai press harder against Chouji's skin.

Shikamaru didn't have a very good view of the woman since she was behind Chouji. All he noticed was she had short hair that spiked into the air, same as in her picture. Shikamaru looked over at Hinata and Kiba to see the two still going at it, Kiba doing what he could to stay out of the way. Shikamaru was impressed with the way she as fighting, but he was sure if he'd been licked, he'd grow fangs and attack as well. He had to deal with Kokoro for now, get Chouji away from her, but he didn't know what to do. This is what he feared from the start, Chouji being put into a life and death situation. Shikamaru started to think of what he could do when he heard Chouji whimper out in pain. He looked up and saw Kokoro with a handful of Chouji's hair, pulling his head back to expose his neck even more. Chouji wrapped his hands around Kokoro's wrists in pain, closing his eyes unconsciously. Kokoro giggled evilly at the boy's pain, but was shocked to find that she couldn't move in inch.

"What's this?" Kokoro asked cooly, not worrying too much about not being able to move. She noticed Shikamaru had his hands in a sign and had been quick in sneaking his shadow over to her's. "A shadow technique? That's not good..."

"Chouji, move!" Shikamaru commanded, seeing Chouji pull himself out of her grip.

"Shikamaru..." Chouji started as he moved to next to his teammate. "I'm sorry I let her catch me."

"No, I'm sorry I let her get that close. Never again, okay?" Shikamaru said without looking away from the woman.

"Shikama..." Chouji was beginning, but was cut off by Kokoro.

"How sweet, the love for your team. But..." Kokoro said, looking straight into Shikamaru's eyes. "I'm tired right now, maybe we'll play later."

Just then, Kokoro snapped effortlessly out of Shikamaru's bind and yelled at her brother, saying it was time to go. They both jumped into the darkness of the trees and soon after, the night faded away, giving way to day. Hinata scanned the area and shook her head saying they were no longer around. After that, she fell to her knees, almost out of energy. Kiba walked up to her, placing his arm around her.

"Hinata, you... saved me..." Kiba said, seeing her eyes look at him. "Thanks." He now smiled, Akamaru barking also.

"I... I... need to wash my face..." Hinata said nervously, getting up and going over to the tent to retrieve some water and a rag to clean her face, Kiba following her to get his water out of his bag to give her..

Meanwhile, Shikamaru was sporting a face of anger. He had almost failed them, and that woman, Kokoro, she could break through his hold with ease. Chouji wrapped a hand around his neck and thought about how easy it would have been for her to kill him. One tiny slice, and he'd have been dead for sure. As he looked at Shikamaru, he noticed his face calm down, he was already planning a way to defeat them.

"Shikamaru?" Chouji said shakily, rubbing his neck.

"Damn, Chouji. You got me scared there, for a second." Shikamaru looked up at Chouji, a small smile placed on his face.

"I'm sorry, I won't let it happen again." Chouji started to defend himself, wincing as he felt a cut left from the blade.

"So..." Shikamaru noticed Chouji's pain. "She nicked you, eh?" Shikamaru raised a hand to Chouji's neck, lightly tracing a finger over the wound. "I'll make sure this is the most damage you take, Chouji." Shikamaru now moved his hand up to the side of Chouji's face, his fingers playing with Chouji's earring. "Maybe we should rest, get our energy back up before we move on. I could use a nap."

"...Yeah..." Chouji uttered, shy from the contact he had been given. He followed Shikamaru into the tent after he removed his hand.

* * *

That was a long one! Well, I hope this story will catch on soon, cause there's nothing I hate more than my stories rotting in the background. Feel free to review, I'm eagerly awaiting them:) I might decide to make the boys cuddle in the next chapter, so if you wanna see the cuteness, watch for chapter three! 


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